A lifestyle change took place when we moved to our smallholding in Wales, we are leaving behind the consumerism of life, growing our food, raising our meat, living our lives to the full, enjoying every day the highs and lows of country living, but not going without just doing it better.

And around the apiary orchard area, I can now get my fruit trees planted and take all the orange netting down, there is metal pedestrian gates into each of the areas.

We have had 4 paddocks done with stock fencing, these four paddocks are for the Alpacas, the paddocks are in pairs and link with a gate, so we can move them from paddock to paddock so we can rest ground in between, now the paddocks are done we need to get some field shelters built then we can get some females.

On the subject of Alpacas today there was a big fight between them, I was just coming out of the cabin going to make a cuppa when i looked across the field all I could see was Nick Nak covered in blood, a lot of blood all over his head and down his neck, I went round to get C junior from next door to help we get Nick Nak into the enclosure so we could see what had happened.

We managed to get him his ear had been torn, he was sprayed with purple spray and washed down to get rid of as much of the blood as possible.

This is him after we had cleaned him up, he seems fine now. It gave a bit of a start when I saw him covered in blood, not something I want to see again in a hurry.

Mushroom Spawn part 2

I drained the straw and went onto the next bit of the instructions

break up the mushroom spawn and sprinkle it into the bag of damp straw

close up the bag with a paper towel as a bung and give the bag a good shake place somewhere with a temperature between 17-24c in a few weeks I should see lots of white threads running through the straw, will update when we get to the next stage.

I have been that busy today I haven't even opened this big box

It arrived this morning, hubby has just got home for the week end so the box can wait until tomorrow as well.

My goodness, how scary for you about the alpacas getting into an argument. I hope that they are alright and that you are too. The fencing all looks very posh doesn't it! How pleased you must be to be getting it all ship shape and it will, I hope, make life easier for keeping everyone and everything in the right place! xx

I am looking forward to getting the boys seperated to stop them fighting, but until i get some females we cant seperate them as they would be to distressed on there own, they love each other really :-)

A little blood goes a long way and really shows up on a light coat. At least you didn't panic, and it will soon heal now it's been "purpled". I still have a spot on my kitchen flagstones where I pressed mine by mistake one day. . .

You are making really good progress with getting everywhere stockproof and soundly fenced. Well done.

Having seen it again today i should have really got it stitched, he wasnt feeling good at the time I think he lost a fair amount he kept trying to cush which is going down on his knees, he was a bit distressed, the amount of blood on the ground was a bit of a shocker as well. But today he seems fine :-)